ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: field · branch · pop · club · pitch · date · hide · degree

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. field — a subject
  4. degree — an amount
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. club — a group
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. field — for sport
  9. degree — from a university
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. branch — a division
  13. pop — music
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. pitch — completely
  16. club — for golf
  17. club — for dancing
  18. date — the fruit
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. degree — temperature
  22. pop — soda
  23. pop — to visit
  24. field — farmland

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com